ABSTRACT
Fidelio is, simply, a crucial high point in Beethoven output. Begun in 1805, finished in 1806 but continually revised until 1814, Fidelio overlaps with the greatest of his symphonies. But the most important thing in the present instance is that Fidelio is without doubt one of its composer's least literary works. Clear as it may be that Beethoven is not a champion of art for art's sake, the sticky, insipid pathos of a Romain Rolland, to name but one, is very far from helpful. The choral writing too has a vivacity and a clarity of outline that is entirely operatic and free of any oratorio style. The drama, the transcendent beauty and, at the same time, the defect of Beethoven's music is its unceasing impulse to be more than music. Without a singing voice, Mme Lotte Lehmann would still be a great tragic actress.
